PSS Counselor

Established in 1991 by a group of educated Afghan women in exile, the Afghan Women's Educational Center (AWEC) is a nonprofit, nonsectarian, nonpolitical, and nongovernmental organization dedicated to advocating for and raising awareness about the rights of women and children in Islam.

Our core activities focus on empowering women, eliminating violence, and increasing women's participation in both domestic and societal spheres.

With over three decades of experience, AWEC possesses a profound understanding of Afghanistan's socioeconomic, cultural, and political landscape. We are recognized as a leading organization that addresses the diverse needs of various communities, which are shaped by numerous social and economic factors.

Since 2002, AWEC has collaborated with women and communities to enhance access to education, health, and vocational services in Afghanistan. Our initiatives extend to livelihood improvement, protection, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), humanitarian aid, grant management, capacity building, social rehabilitation, cohesion, and justice. AWEC has successfully implemented projects in Logar, Faryab, Kapisa, Khost, Panjshir, Wardak, Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Badakhshan, Parwan, Paktia, Paktika, Laghman, Nuristan, and Bamyan provinces, maintaining an active presence in Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Badakhshan, Parwan, Paktia, Paktika, Laghman, Nuristan, and Bamyan.

Our vision in AWEC is “an inclusive and just society with sensitized and responsive public and private sector, where all women and children have access to opportunities to improve their quality of life in order to realize their full potential”.

AWEC has zero tolerance approach to the AWEC Code of Conduct including safeguarding, SH, and Fraud violations being committed by its staff, consultants, contractors, volunteers, interns, suppliers, vendors, sub-grantees/partners, implementing partners or any other associate.

The PSS Counselor will provide structured psychosocial support and technical assistance for the implementation of integrated Psychosocial Support (PSS) and (GBV) case management services to vulnerable communities. The counselor will support vulnerable beneficiaries, particularly women facing stress, trauma, or economic vulnerability, through individual and group counseling sessions aimed at improving emotional wellbeing, resilience, and confidence. 

The counselor will be responsible for providing confidential, survivor-centered psychosocial support, managing GBV cases, facilitating referrals, coordinating with health facilities and relevant service providers, and ensuring safe and accessible engagement with beneficiaries. All interventions will be delivered using survivor-centered, trauma-informed, culturally appropriate, and ethical approaches while maintaining confidentiality, safeguarding standards, humanitarian principles, AWEC policies, and donor requirements. The position will ensure that services are provided with professionalism and sensitivity throughout the assignment period.

Responsibilities:

1. Case Management and Psychosocial Support

• Provide confidential individual psychosocial counseling sessions for vulnerable women and GBV survivors.
• Facilitate group psychosocial support sessions where appropriate.
• Provide Psychological First Aid (PFA) and immediate emotional support for beneficiaries experiencing distress.
• Conduct survivor-centered intake interviews and obtain informed consent before providing services.
• Complete case registration, psychosocial assessments, and develop individualized Case Action Plans.
• Assess psychosocial, protection, safety, and wellbeing needs using AWEC's approved case management tools.
• Support survivors to strengthen coping mechanisms, resilience, emotional wellbeing, and stress management.
• Develop and implement safety plans with survivors where required.
• Conduct regular follow-up sessions and update case action plans based on survivors' evolving needs.
• Close cases following AWEC procedures when case objectives have been achieved or at the survivor's request.

2. GBV Referral and Coordination

• Identify cases requiring specialized services and facilitate timely internal and external referrals.
• Coordinate with health centers, hospitals, protection actors, legal aid providers, and other service providers.
• Maintain updated referral pathways and referral directories.
• Ensure informed consent is obtained before making any referral.
• Establish and maintain effective coordination with health facilities operating under AWEC referral agreements and MoUs.
• Follow up with survivors after referrals to confirm access to services and assess service outcomes.
• Coordinate transportation and medical support for GBV survivors in accordance with project procedures.
• Maintain communication with referral partners to ensure continuity and quality of care.

3. Community Engagement

• Support Community Mobilizers during awareness activities related to psychosocial support and available referral services.
• Participate in community outreach activities while maintaining confidentiality and protection principles.
• Promote safe access to psychosocial support services through culturally appropriate communication.
• Support awareness sessions on stress management, emotional wellbeing, positive coping mechanisms, and available support services.

4. Documentation and Reporting

• Maintain complete, accurate, and confidential case files using AWEC's approved case management forms.
• Complete all required documentation, including consent forms, registration forms, intake forms, action plans, referral forms, follow-up forms, service records, session notes, and case closure forms.
• Maintain secure soft and hard-copy records in accordance with AWEC's Data Protection Policy.
• Prepare weekly, monthly and final reports on assigned activities.
• Document achievements, challenges, lessons learned, referral outcomes, and recommendations.
• Submit all required documentation and reports to the Project Manager in a timely manner.

5. Monitoring and Coordination

• Coordinate closely with Community Mobilizers to facilitate safe identification and referral of beneficiaries.
• Participate in coordination meetings, technical supervision sessions, and case review meetings.
• Work closely with the MEAL Department during monitoring activities while maintaining survivor confidentiality.
• Support data collection for project indicators and contribute to monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Contribute lessons learned and recommendations to improve the quality of psychosocial support and case management services.

6. Compliance

• Ensure compliance with AWEC policies, procedures, SOPs, and donor requirements.
• Adhere to AWEC's Code of Conduct.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of all beneficiary and case information.
• Apply survivor-centered principles, including respect, dignity, informed choice, confidentiality, non-discrimination, and safety.
• Comply with AWEC policies on PSEA, Child Safeguarding, AAP, Safeguarding, and Data Protection.
• Apply the Do No Harm principle throughout all interventions.
• Report safeguarding concerns through AWEC's established reporting mechanisms.
• Participate in supervision, technical mentoring, and staff wellbeing sessions.
• Perform any other related tasks assigned by the Project Manager.

Education and Experience:

A minimum of Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Counseling, Social Work, Mental Health, Clinical Psychology, or another relevant field.

Professional training in Psychosocial Support (PSS), Psychological First Aid (PFA), or GBV Case Management is highly desirable.

A minimum of 4 years of professional experience in psychosocial support, counseling, mental health, protection, or GBV case management. Demonstrated experience providing survivor-centered psychosocial support and managing GBV cases.

Skills:

Experience coordinating referrals with health facilities and other protection service providers.

Strong counseling, communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.

Excellent documentation, report writing, and case management skills.

Ability to maintain confidentiality and work ethically with vulnerable populations.

Ability to travel regularly within project target areas.

Fluency in Dari and Pashto; working knowledge of English is preferred.

Interested candidates are requested to send their CVs to the attention of following link: https://forms.gle/FHxChpgX97CEFak28

After submission your information. onlu eligible shortlisted candidates will be directly contacted for test/ Interview.

This announcement is open to applicants of all nationalities, with strong preference given to qualified candidates available within the same region.

“Being committed to diversity & equal employment opportunity we highly encourage females & people living with disabilities to apply, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to ethnicity, language, religious sect.”